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UK Fragrances Market Report 2025

UK Fragrances Market Report 2025

Market Intelligence Reports Fragrances UK

UK Fragrances and Perfumes Market Analysis

The fragrance market is slowing as consumers cut back on spending, turning to dupes, discounts and minis. Dupe brands are redefining consumer expectations, offering similar scents at lower prices and capturing spend from cost-conscious shoppers.

UK Fragrances Market Trends

Almost nine in ten UK fragrance users think the scent itself is more important than the brand name. This emphasises the importance of the scent as the key factor in consumer decision-making, rather than brand reputation or marketing.

Prestige fragrance brands face challenges as consumers become more scent savvy and price sensitive. Affordable dupe brands that mimic high-end scents appeal to consumers. Social media has fuelled their popularity, forcing prestige brands to defend their market share by focusing on exclusivity, quality and unique storytelling. This competition highlights the need for innovation and stronger differentiation in the high-end fragrance market.

There is a notable shift towards high-performance fragrance formats, with an increase in perfume oil usage among fragrance users. This trend allows brands to redefine longevity in fragrance by highlighting scent progression, as well as additional products that act as scent enhancers.

UK Fragrance Market Report – About the Report

Key Topics Analysed in the Report:

The impact of economic instability on the UK fragrance market
Interest in and purchase of dupes, and consumers’ primary reasons for purchasing
Perceptions of ‘longevity’ in fragrances, and opportunities to educate
Social media trends influencing the scent profile landscape, and how to capitalise on them

Report Scope

This Report examines the UK market for men’s and women’s fragrance, including parfum, eau de toilettes (EDT), eau de parfums (EDP) and colognes:

parfums, perfume extracts or elixirs/eau de parfum (EDP) intense have a 15-40% concentration of essence
eau de parfum (EDP) have a 10-30% concentration of essence
eau de toilette (EDT) have a 5-20% concentration of essence
colognes, often referred to as eau de cologne (EDC), have a 3-5% concentration of essence
eau fraiche have a 1-3% concentration of essence

Unless otherwise specified, throughout this Report the term ‘fragrance’ refers to both perfumes (eg eau de toilette, eau de parfum, parfum), eau de cologne and aftershaves.

Body sprays are excluded from the market size but are included elsewhere in the Report for context.

Dupe fragrances are also covered in the Report. A fragrance dupe is a cheaper copy of a more expensive fragrance. The fragrances that dupe brands copy are referred to as non-dupe or original brands/products.

Report Attributes	Details
Published Date	September 2025
Data Range	2019-2030
Measurement Metrics	Revenue in £
Consumer Data	2,000 internet users aged 16+, July 2025
Number of Pages	109
Market Segmentation	Prestige, Mass, Women’s, Men’s, Unisex
Leading Brands in the UK Fragrance Market	Coty, L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, Chanel

Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis

This report was written by Shiyan Zering. Shiyan writes reports on the beauty, personal care and OTC categories, with a targeted focus on the UK and the Middle East. She has over six years of previous experience in the colour cosmetics sector, in both consumer-facing and artistry roles.

Consumers are prioritising scent over brand name, driving interest in dupes. Long-lasting and niche fragrances can accelerate growth.

Shiyan Zering
Senior Beauty and Personal Care Analyst

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the fragrances market
- Redefine longevity for keen but confused consumers
- Combat scent-first mindsets by reinventing brand value
- Interest in niche and culturally rich fragrances is reshaping the market
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size and forecast
- Market predictions
- The fragrance bubble is about to burst
- Graph 1: market size and forecast for fragrances, 2019-30
- What consumers want and why
- Body mists continue to be the most widely used fragrance format
- Graph 2: types of fragrance formats used, 2025
- Gendered fragrance preferences remain prevalent
- Graph 3: types of fragrances used, gendered vs unisex, 2025
- Interest in dupes is rising
- Graph 4: fragrance dupe purchase drivers, 2025
- Graph 5: purchase of and interest in fragrance dupes, 2025
- Fresh scent profiles outperform heavier notes
- ‘Long-lasting’ equates to convenience
- Graph 6: perceptions of ‘long-lasting’ fragrances, 2025
- Prestige is preferred
- Graph 7: fragrance usage behaviours, 2025
- Scent profiles take priority over brand name
- Graph 8: fragrance preferences, 2025
- Innovation and marketing
- Unisex fragrances remain prevalent in launch activity
- Graph 9: fragrance launches, by sub-category, 2021-25
- Brands focus on storytelling, scent trends and boosted value
MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- Wellness and social media drive fragrance growth
- Graph 10: retail value sales of fragrances, 2021-25
- Market forecast
- Forecast – a note on US trade disruption
- The impact of US trade disruption for the fragrances market
- The fragrance bubble is about to burst
- Graph 11: market size and forecast for fragrances, 2019-30
- Fragrance remains a priority, despite slower growth
- Graph 12: BPC spending priorities, 2025
- Find a balance between accessibility and premiumisation, as well as a balance between trend-led NPD and authenticity
- Market segmentation
- Prestige remains the go-to for most consumers
- Unisex fragrances continue to outperform
- Channels to market
- Online-only retailers are gaining traction
- Leverage sampling to further drive online sales
- The Essence Vault captures holiday shoppers
- Graph 13: select ‘dupe’ fragrance retailers, total spend, 2023-25
- Dupe brands need to differentiate
- Graph 14: select ‘dupe’ fragrance retailers, average customer total spend vs average spend per transaction, 2024-25
- Provide in-store exclusives to compete with online
- The rise of premium retail experiences
- Fragrance specialists need better year-long momentum
- Graph 15: select fragrance retailers, total spend, 2023-25
- Turn loyalists into higher-value shoppers
- Graph 16: select fragrance retailers, average customer total spend vs average spend per transaction, 2024-25
- Discounters lose fragrance momentum
- Market share
- Coty still leads in fine fragrance
- Fine fragrance faces challenges
- Market drivers
- Slowing wage growth and rising prices will impact spending
- Graph 17: CPI inflation rate and total pay growth rate, 2021-25
- Cater to teens with playful scents and packaging
- Address sensitive skin needs
- Encourage self-gifting to unlock new purchase occasions
- Graph 18: types of beauty/grooming products purchased as a gift in the last 12 months, 2025
- Pay attention to social media trends
- Scented laundry care could threaten usage
- Cross-category freshness desires can spark format innovation
- Graph 19: scent priorities in soap, bath or shower, and hand, body or footcare products, 2025
- Use biotech when navigating supply chain issues
- Keep fragrance marketing ‘real’ in an AI era
- De-risk digital fragrance discovery
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Types of fragrance used
- Body mists continue to be the most used fragrance format…
- Graph 20: types of fragrance formats used, 2024 and 2025
- …but have seen a decline in usage for the first time since 2022
- Reignite interest in the body mist segment
- Fragrance oils gain momentum
- Graph 21: types of fragrance formats used, 2024 and 2025
- Gen Z drives the rise of perfume oils…
- …and hair perfumes
- Encourage older consumers to embrace a wider range of formats
- Graph 22: repertoire of fragrances formats used, 2025
- Usage of gendered fragrances
- Gendered fragrance preferences remain prevalent
- Graph 23: types of fragrances used, gendered vs unisex, 2024 and 2025
- Gender-free gains ground with young women
- Modernise traditional ‘male’ scents
- Graph 24: fragrance scent priorities, by usage of male fragrances, 2025
- Make florals feel fresh again
- Graph 25: fragrance scent priorities, by usage of female fragrances, 2024
- Bring diverse notes for diverse palettes
- Graph 26: fragrance scent priorities, by usage of unisex fragrances, 2025
- Purchase of and interest in dupes
- Dupe curiosity is converting into strong sales
- Consumers are committing to dupes
- Graph 27: purchase of and interest in fragrance dupes, 2024 and 2025
- Stay ahead of dupe purchasing
- Graph 28: any buyers of fragrance dupes, by financial situation, 2024 and 2025
- Reframe value to win over male dupe buyers
- Older consumers are following dupe purchase trends
- Graph 29: any buyers of fragrance dupes, by age, 2024 and 2025
- Dupe buyers are drawn to scent over brand name
- Dupe buyers are looking for on-trend scents
- Dupe buyers prioritise projection over fragrance intimacy
- Dupe purchase drivers
- Dupe buyers are seeking replicas
- Graph 30: fragrance dupe purchase drivers, 2025
- EDTs and mists can win back daily dupe users
- Offer a way into prestige to offset trading down
- Boost gifting sales by engaging male audiences
- Bridge prestige and price for teen gift recipients
- Consumers are one-track minded for dupe purchasing
- Graph 31: repertoire of fragrance dupe purchase drivers, 2025
- Desired scent notes
- Preferences are driven by practicality over trends
- Graph 32: desired scent notes, 2025
- Tap into ‘grown-up’ notes to future-proof vanilla’s appeal
- Target younger consumers with fruit forward trends
- Fruit scents to watch: rhubarb
- Revamp citrus scents with contemporary notes
- Re-establish musk appeal
- Expand scents with a Middle Eastern palette
- Gourmand interest potentially held back by jargon
- Perceptions of ‘long-lasting’ fragrances
- Long-lasting equates to convenience of use
- Graph 33: perceptions of ‘long-lasting’ fragrances, 2025
- Consumers expect both durability and consistency from fragrance
- Use layering concepts to make scents last longer
- External validation is needed
- Consider the impact of climate change on longevity
- Target active consumers with durable scents
- Trial sets can boost perceptions of performance
- Fragrance usage behaviours
- Prestige is preferred
- Graph 34: fragrance usage behaviours, 2025
- Cater to consumer demand for brand variation
- Turn travel touchpoints into trial moments with minis
- Brands are leaning into alcohol-free
- Use mood-driven visuals to influence social scent discovery
- Fragrance preferences
- Scents take priority
- Graph 35: fragrance preferences, 2025
- Create a day-to-night fragrance routine
- Capture the shift away from skin spraying
- Blend niche appeal into brand strategies
- Niche fragrance brands to watch
INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- Unisex positioning can widen the target audience
- Graph 36: fragrance launches, by sub-category, 2021-25
- A rise in EDP launches aligns with consumer interest in longevity
- Graph 37: fragrance launches by select concentration levels in product name, 2025
- Elevate mini fragrances through performance and collectibility
- Graph 38: miniature or travel sized* fragrance launches, 2021-25
- Improve accessibility in fragrance packaging
- Longevity claims have increased their share of NPD
- Graph 39: new product launches in the fragances category, by top 10 claims (based on 2024), 2023-25
- Environmental efforts shift from packaging to responsible ingredient sourcing
- Skin-boosting fragrances can capture consumer interest
- More private label brands are leading innovation…
- Graph 40: fragrance new product launches, by top 10 ultimate companies, 2024
- …and turning to trends and intensity to boost value
- Luxe brands are boosting NPD
- Affordable Arabic fragrances are creating a scent shift
- Local British scents could win over fragrance users
- Experimental brands create with unconventional notes
- Tap into emotive fragrances
- Explore flavour trends to future-proof fragrance innovation
- Advertising and marketing activity
- TV accounts for the majority of ad spend
- Premium brands face challenges from social-driven dupes
- Graph 41: total above-the-line, online display, direct mail and social media advertising expenditure on fragrances*, by advertiser, 2024
- The Essence Vault calls out the fragrance industry’s prices…
- …and other dupe brands advertise side by side cost
- Le Labo created experiential storytelling to strengthen brand authenticity
- Jo Malone taps into food trends to elevate scent storytelling
- Space NK celebrated National Fragrance Week
- Gamify experiences for fragrances
- Heritage brands trying to capture a new generation
APPENDIX
- Supplementary data
- Population estimates
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market size and forecast: at constant and current prices
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
- Snoop SpendMapper methodology

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